Archaeologists recently discovered that taking the dog for a walk is not a new habit: a dog tooth from 7,500 years ago has been found in Wiltshire but the dog originally came from the Vale of York suggesting that the domesticated Alsatian-type animal accompanied his owners on the 250 mile walk. If only today's owners were as keen on walkies! Researchers at Liverpool Univeristy have found that 40% of owners do not walk their dog at all, while many others could be walked more regularly. They asked 600 owners what made them get off the sofa and two thirds said having a dog made them walk more, especially if it was a big dog. Others thought that exercise would make their dog stop barking or keep it healthy. Sadly, it seems that small dogs did not fare so well and yet many of the small breeds benefit from just as much - if not more - exercise than some large breeds.